World Cup 2014: Brazil's tournament captured in pictures

Togetherness. Fifa expects the tournament to reach an audience in excess of the record 3.2 billion set in 2010

Anticipation. From sticker collections to sweepstakes, football fans find ways to count down to the tournament as squad announcements and warm-up matches are intensely scrutinised

Dejection. England's second-youngest squad to play at a World Cup return home after the group stage for the first time since 1958 as Uruguay's Luis Suarez strikes twice to crush the dreams of former Liverpool team-mate Steven Gerrard. The Three Lions also lose their opening game against Italy, and draw with Costa Rica

Turnaround. Praise turns to global criticism for Luis Suarez within days as he bites an opponent for the third time in his career. Italy's Giorgio Chiellini is the victim, earning Suarez a four-month ban from all football activity

Broken. Cameroon are unable to leave a mark on Group A and team-mates Benjamin Moukandjo and Benoit Assou-Ekotto turn on each other during the defeat to Croatia in the heat of Manaus

United. The Netherlands set about winning the first World Cup in their history with a shock 5-1 win over Spain in the opening round as Robin van Persie's stunning header impresses his new Manchester United boss Louis van Gaal

Questions. Is tiki-taka dead? Spain's first-round exit leaves fans in Madrid devastated as the defending world and European champions are well beaten by Netherlands and Chile

Worship. The tournament's hosts Brazil - five-time World Cup winners - pin their hopes on striker Neymar and cruise through the group stage as public adoration for the poster boy shows no sign of ending

Star-gazing. Supporters, including these in Seoul, pack out fan-zones all over the world and Facebook announce there were more than one billion World Cup-related interactions during the first half of the tournament

Timely. Iran's resilient display against Argentina comes within seconds of earning a point before Lionel Messi serves up group-stage drama with a stunning curled effort to spark chaos in Buenos Aires

Movers. Harsh when form is evasive, joyous when things go well, the World Cup is the ultimate microscope and Colombia are a sight for sore eyes as they ease to the top of Group C

Goals. Lots of them. A total of 136 are scored in the group stages, six more than the previous record set at the 2002 World Cup

Progress. So sought after but evasive for England, Portugal, Italy and ultimately Croatia, who are beaten in Recife by Mexico and their jubilant manager Miguel Herrera

Ended. Neymar's tournament is over, and arguably Brazil's hopes diminish, when Colombia's Juan Zuniga crashes into the back of the 22-year-old, fracturing the forward's third vertebra during the hosts' quarter-final win

Stunned. The football-mad country draws its breath as Neymar is stretchered off in tears. Here, a priest from the Franciscan order and a nun from the enclosed monastery of Imaculada Conceicao watch on television

Contrast. Four matches go to penalties in the knockout stages - as many as in any other World Cup - and Costa Rica's shock progress through Group D shows no sign of ending as they beat Greece from the spot in the last 16

Coveted. The tournament draws focus on global talents including Colombia's James Rodriguez, who scores six goals and even finds the time to provide a safe haven for giant insects

Decisions. Netherlands manager Louis van Gaal is widely acclaimed for sending on substitute goalkeeper Tim Krul in place of Jasper Cillessen against Costa Rica, as the Newcastle stopper makes crucial saves in the decisive quarter-final shootout

Records. A haul of 15 saves in his side's extra-time defeat to Belgium earns Tim Howard a World Cup record and a phone call from President Barack Obama who says the goalkeeper will need to disguise himself, such is his new-found popularity in the US

Historic. Miroslav Klose becomes the tournament's all-time leading scorer on 16 goals as Germany score more times than any other side in a semi-final, humiliating an emotional Brazil 7-1

Rivalry. Argentina fans erect an inflatable version of Rio's Christ the Redeemer statue in Buenos Aires to celebrate reaching the final at the expense of Netherlands in a shootout

Breathtaking. The sun sets on the tournament as Germany and Argentina play out the most-watched fixture in world football

Hero. Mario Gotze comes off the bench be the youngest player to score in a World Cup final since 1966, sparking chaotic scenes in Berlin and ensuring his name is written into history back in his homeland

Elusive. Argentina's Lionel Messi won the player of the tournament award, but he could not inspire his side to the trophy as they went down 1-0 to Germany in a repeat of the scoreline in the 1990 final

Winners. Germany become the first European team to win the World Cup on South American soil and with four tournament wins, now only trail Brazil who have five, as the most successful World Cup nation

BBC links

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